A Community of Parents and Teachers gathered to share views, visions and resources for
the advancement of art education for our children.

March 07, 2009

Mandala Art Projects

The Mandala (Sanskrit for “circle” or “completion”) has a long history and is recognized for its deep spiritual meaning and representation of wholeness.

Mandalas are found among the most ancient art forms created by human beings. Rock carvings found all over the world incorporate the circular form and its variations such as spirals, crosses, and concentric circles. It is thought that they express worshipful awe of nature’s cycles and the mysteries of life and death. The alternation of day and night, the ever-changing moon, and the rhythms of the seasons are aptly expressed by circular designs. These natural occurrences became the foundation for a worldview based on circles.

The curriculum we provide here was created by Sara Jean Lowry an Art Teacher at Joyce Kilmer School in Mahwah, NJ. The mandala above was created by art teacher Lucy Bloom.

I have had the pleasure of working with Sara on many projects. She is one of the most excited art teachers I have ever collaborated with. When I met her for the first time atthe Joyce Kilmer School in Mahwah NJ– I had a hard time zeroing in on her in a very engaged classroom as Sara is not much taller than her 5th graders but it didn’t take long for me to feel her enormous energy that filled the room.

Sara received a grant from a local arts organization in 2007 for us to create Mandala Tiles. The 250 plus 5th graders created their Manadalas and then ArtWare created the tiles that now decorate the hallways of a very generically designed school.

Sara's project is based on the lesson plan Mandalas Around the World. It's an interdisciplinary study that bridges, math, history and art.

This project was such a success that we are now entering our third round of Mandala Tiles for the current 5th grade class to create and we continue to adorn all of the archways at the Joyce Kilmer School.

Sara and I had the pleasure of presenting this Mandala art project at the Art Educators of New Jersey AENJ 2008 Conference to a group of enthusiastic and talented art teachers. Their creations are outstanding as you can see here.